Father of Gay Soldier Killed in Afghanistan to Run for Office in Minnesota: VIDEO

Jeff Wilfahrt, whose gay son Andrew (below, right) was killed in February by an IED in Afghanistan, has announced he will run for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 37B, a seat currently held by Rosemount resident Kurt Bills.

Since the death of his son, Wilfahrt has been an outspoken advocate for not only gays in the military but LGBT rights in general.

Wilfahrt, a former 3M engineer who is currently self-employed, spent a lot of time at the capitol last year speaking out against a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. In May he complained about speaking to committees whose minds appeared to have been made up long before he walked into the room.

Wilfahrt’s son, Andrew, was killed in February by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. Andrew was gay, and Jeff said in May he wanted to ensure people like his son can have the same rights as everyone else.

“I see it as a matter of civil rights,” Wilfahrt said in May. “It’s too late to stand up for Andrew. He’s dead and gone. But there’s a lot of people out there who are in a minority. There is an action being taken by the Republican majority to oppress a minority even further.”

Wilfahrt called the proposed marriage ban one of the most significant factors in his decision to run.

Watch an amazing July CNN segment on the Wilfahrts and their son, AFTER THE JUMP...

My donation to his campaign is going in the mail first thing in the AM. Here's part of the letter included:
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First of all, I want to thank you and your wife for going public with your story of heroism and loss. As a parent, I can't imagine the pain of losing a child. But you have found an opportunity to continue the good works of your son and help to make Minnesota, and the US as a whole, a better place for gay people and their allies.
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